


My Weakness is Strong

by Geonn



Category: Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
Genre: Book 12: Changes, Book 13: Ghost Story, Clothed Sex, Cunnilingus, Enemy Lovers, F/F, First Time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-07
Updated: 2012-03-07
Packaged: 2017-11-01 15:13:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/358266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geonn/pseuds/Geonn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Murphy shows Gard there's no sin in taking a few minutes for yourself, even during a war.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Weakness is Strong

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for the novels "Changes" and "Ghost Story," as well as the short stories Heorot and Aftermath.

Among other things, she wished she had asked Dresden how he did it. How he managed to stop the apocalypse time and again, how he fought monsters that would give a Navy SEAL nightmares, and still remain sane. How he could still smile and walk down the street and just be normal despite knowing that every quiet day was just a brief respite from the next horror barreling down on them all. Since he went away (she still couldn't say the d-word), she was starting to understand just how much he was carrying on his shoulders until it was transferred to hers. 

Murphy didn't understand how he could still stand upright under all that weight.

It was a quiet night, though she was well aware of how quickly that could change. The new rules were to never pass up an opportunity to sleep, eat or piss, because you never knew when the next opportunity would present itself. She trudged upstairs, the last bastion of normalcy in her life, and sat on the edge of the bed. The energy required to bend down and unzip her boots was almost all she had left, and she dropped back onto the mattress as soon as her feet were free.

She wiggled her toes in the open air and rested her hands on her stomach. She didn't realize she was dozing until the light coming through the open door changed. She was sitting up, her gun leveled at the silent intruder as her brain and eyes caught up with her body and she recognized Marcone's woman, Miss Gard, standing with her hands resting on the door jamb.

"What are you doing here?" She put the gun down, but left her hand resting on the butt of it. 

"I'm here as an emissary from Mr. Marcone. He felt you should know that he's leaving for Rome in the morning."

Murphy scoffed and shook her head. "Rats from a sinking ship, huh?"

"Hardly. You're smart enough to realize that Dresden's actions in Chichen Itza had global consequences. But I've also convinced him that it would be unwise to leave Chicago defenseless." She stepped into the room and took a ledger about the size of a checkbook from the inner pocket of her charcoal blazer. "He's ordered the construction of a building on the grounds of Dresden's former residence. In that ledger you'll find the funding to do with it as you will."

Murphy took the ledger with a skeptical frown, but she opened it to find there was more than enough to turn the building into something that would honor Dresden's memory. She looked at Gard again. "Why the hell would he do this?"

"Dresden assisted me once. He forced himself into my pursuit of a grendelkin. I was angry he had put me in the position of saving his life, but in the end I was only successful because of his interference. Harry Dresden and Johnny Marcone may not have always been fighting toward the same goals, but I sincerely believe they were on the same side more often than not."

Murphy refused to get choked up. She put the ledger on the nightstand. "Well. He'd appreciate the thought."

"The gift isn't for Dresden. It's for you."

Murphy looked at Gard again. "Yeah? What did I do to earn Gentleman Johnny's respect?"

"I spoke for you. I was incredibly impressed by you at our last encounter. Everyone else in this battle has at least an inkling of magical talent, or an ability that enables them to stand against the darkness better than most. Not only do you hold your own alongside them, you are their leader. Your magic is that you have only your wits and strength."

"Yeah." She thought about suggesting her usage of the Sword had changed her, but she didn't. One, she wasn't sure she wanted Gard to know about that if she didn't already and, two, she was pretty sure the Sword didn't give its user anything they didn't already have. She sighed and rolled her shoulders. "Right now I'd kill for a fraction of what Dresden had." She dropped back onto the mattress. "You can let yourself out however you came in."

Gard stepped closer to the bed. She'd produced a flask from some other hidden pocket on her suit, though it was hard to imagine where. The outfit was quite form-fitting. "Here. Refresh yourself."

"I don't think fighting hungover will help our chances tomorrow."

"It's mead, and you won't drink enough to get hungover. It will merely revitalize you."

Murphy looked at the flask. Dresden had said something about Gard being a valkyrie. She took the flask and sniffed the top of it. "If I drink this, you're not going to cart me off to Valhalla to worship Odin, right?"

"Just drink it." Gard turned and lowered herself to the foot of the bed. Murphy sat up, their shoulders touching as they faced different directions. Murphy took a swig and filled her mouth with the sweet honey wine. Almost instantly the stress headache pressing against the back of her eyes faded. She felt as if she'd gotten several hours of sleep instead of a fitful doze, and she took another drink.

She heard Gard's high heels hit the floor and looked over at her. Apparently not even near-deity supernatural women could stand wearing them for very long. Murphy smiled and handed the flask back to her.

"Thanks."

"You need all the help you can get."

Murphy rolled her eyes. "Was that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Any other mortal would get patted on their heads and told to leave the room while the grown-ups dealt with their business. For you, I'll ensure you are well-armed and trust you can handle yourself."

"Thanks, Gard."

Murphy pushed herself back onto the mattress and twisted so she could rest her head on the pillow. Her legs weren't long enough to reach the foot of the bed, so Gard was able to remain where she was. Murphy stared at the woman's back, the way her blazer draped her shoulders and clung to the concave curves of her hips. She looked more tired than Murphy had ever seen her, which wasn't saying much since Gard rarely showed anything as weak as exhaustion.

"What time does Marcone leave?"

"Oh-six hundred."

"So you have four hours."

Gard laughed bitterly. "Four hours. There are so many things I have to do before he leaves, you would... weep." Her hands were flat on the mattress on either side of her body. 

"If we can't take four hours to have a nap, then maybe we should just lay down our weapons and give up. Because otherwise what the hell are we fighting for? If I can't nap, then the terrorists win." She sounded like Dresden. It was comforting. "I'm just saying it's a big bed, and it's here if you want to take advantage of it."

She pushed back and to one side, sliding over the blankets and lying back until she and Murphy were side-by-side. Murphy couldn't remember the last time she'd wrapped herself in blankets and gotten a good night's sleep. She couldn't remember the last time she'd rolled over in the night and pressed herself a warm, responsive body.

There was a fourth part of the rule she had stopped listing a long time ago, since it didn't really apply to her current status. Never pass up an opportunity to sleep, eat, piss or fuck. Her hand was good enough, and she had set new records for rubbing one out. Gard's eyes were closed, and Murphy could see the pale yellow lashes resting against skin that should have looked sickly pale but instead looked... beautiful.

Gard's eyes opened, and it was like looking into a pool of frozen pure water. Murphy didn't even think to apologize. Anyone in her situation would have been thinking the same thing, and Gard proved it by pushing herself up on her elbows. Their faces were even, which never happened when they were upright, and Murphy realized just how beautiful Gard was. 

"This doesn't mean anything," Murphy said.

"I concur."

With that business settled, they kissed. With Murphy still on her back, Gard once again had the height advantage. Murphy touched Gard's neck, spreading her fingers before moving them to the back of her skull. A few feather-light strands of hair had fallen loose from her bun, and Murphy twisted them around her fingers. She used her lips to part Gard's and then pushed her tongue inside. Gard twisted and put her hands on Murphy's shoulders, holding her down as she rolled onto her.

"Aggressive," Gard whispered when they parted. "I approve."

"Good." Murphy grabbed a handful of Gard's hair with one hand, her hip with the other, and flipped her. She wasn't going to be a bottom, not even for a goddamned valkyrie. Murphy sat up and guided Gard's hands to the top button of her blouse. Gard obediently began undoing the buttons, and Murphy swept aside the two halves of Gard's blazer to cup her breasts as she bent down for another kiss. 

It had been so long since she let herself get this close to someone. The world had become too dangerous to let even a hint of vulnerability through. Her best friend could be a demon or a shapeshifter, and she wouldn't know it until the knife slid between her ribs. So what better person to trust than someone she _knew_ would throw her to the wolves given the first opportunity?

Murphy lost her blouse quickly, and Gard sat up to reach the clasp in the middle of Murphy's back. The new position gave her a chance to kiss the swells of Murphy's breasts just above the cup of her bra and Murphy closed her eyes. Gard's tongue flattened against her skin and skimmed down. Murphy shrugged out of her bra, and Gard used her lips to pull it out of the way before closing her mouth around one nipple.

Murphy rolled her head back in a silent expression of pleasure and pushed Gard's blazer off, too distracted to deal with the buttons of her blouse. She settled for putting her hand back on Gard's head to pull Gard's hair free of its bun. It fell in waves, far more hair than Murphy would have expected, and she lost long minutes running her fingers through it as Gard kissed her chest and neck. From the hungry sweeps of Gard's tongue and the quiet, desperate growls that grew louder with each recitation, Murphy guessed it had been a while for the valkyrie, too. She brought a handful of the thick golden hair to her face and inhaled. 

If Dresden was out there somewhere, this would have been the perfect time for him to pop up. _"Hey, Murph. Sorry I was gone... for... so... long. Uh. I'll wait in the kitchen."_

Gard looked up. "Ticklish?"

Murphy realized she had been laughing. "Not particularly." She cupped Gard's face and kissed her soundly as she pushed her back down. She moved from straddling Gard to kneeling between her legs, not breaking the kiss as she reached down to undo her belt. Gard helped her, and soon the slacks were around her thighs and Gard's hand was covering the crotch of Murphy's underwear. Gard's skirt had ridden up to allow Murphy's current position, and Murphy caught a glimpse of pristine white panties underneath. She also wore stockings, because _of course_ a valkyrie in a business suit would go the whole fetish route.

Murphy moved her knees as far apart as possible since Gard's legs were hooked over her hips. She pressed her knee into the blanket and began grinding her hips.

Gard tilted her head back and her eyes seemed frosted. She closed them as Murphy leaned in and placed a gentle kiss to each lid. The pale lashes fluttered like butterfly wings against her lips as Gard pushed the underwear out of the way and circled Murphy's labia before pressing inside. Murphy grunted and furrowed her brow, biting her bottom lip as she curled an arm around Gard's neck. "More," she said. 

"As you wish." Gard added a second finger and Murphy began to grind against her palm. Murphy pulled back and flattened her hands on Gard's shoulders. She gripped the thin material of Gard's blouse which, even in the dim light, allowed Murphy a hint of the brassiere underneath. Gard locked eyes with Murphy and held the contact ( _Soul Gaze_ , Dresden would have called it, and God it really felt like something was being pulled from her) until Murphy's breathing became ragged and she came. Gard's legs tightened around her, and she bent forward to kiss Murphy's neck until Murphy recovered enough to push her down.

Gard withdrew her hand and brought it to her lips, and Murphy watched with dazed detachment as she ran her tongue over her fingers like a contented kitten. Her eyes were half-lidded, and her cheeks were flush. "Mm. It has been a very long time since I was with a mortal woman."

"Biased?"

"Just not worth the effort." She kissed Murphy's breast and circled the nipple with her tongue. "Usually. Perhaps there is more to you than meets the eye, Miss Murphy."

Murphy shrugged and shifted her weight. She kissed Gard's breasts through her blouse, undoing the buttons easily now that she wasn't so preoccupied. She brushed soft kisses over Gard's décolletage, breathed in the scent at the hollow of her throat, and scooted down until she was framed by Gard's long, muscular legs. She kissed them, the material of Gard's stockings rough against her lips as she moved down. She pushed the skirt out of the way and pressed the pad of her thumb against the crotch of her panties.

Gard sucked in a sharp breath, the tendons standing out in her neck as she tensed. Murphy kept her thumb in place and explored with lips and tongue until she found Gard's clit. She used her tongue to manipulate it through the satin underwear, moving her thumb in nearly imperceptible circles as Gard trembled underneath her. 

At first Murphy thought she simply hadn't heard what Gard said, but further mental examination revealed that Gard had just spoken Scandinavian. _Score one for the mortal's oral skills..._ Her thumbnail hooked the underwear and pulled it aside like the tablecloth trick, and Murphy pressed forward with her tongue. The wet flesh accepted the intruder and Murphy slowly began to thrust as much as her lower jaw would allow.

 _I can now definitively compare the taste of something to valkyrie pussy. My life is weird._ She hummed, and Gard's hand came down on Murphy's head. She had a mental image of a hawk grabbing its prey and lifting off as Gard's fingernails raked her scalp, but she ignored it so long as no blood flowed. She dragged the flat of her tongue up, circled Gard's clitoris, and brushed her wet lips against the material of Gard's skirt before looking up into her eyes.

"See? Relaxation isn't so bad."

Gard smiled and sagged against the pillow. Murphy freed herself from the jungle gym of Gard's legs and crawled up beside her. She lay on her side facing Gard, one arm tucked under her head. Gard's eyes were closed and her breasts moved with lazy breathing, but she wasn't asleep. Murphy focused on the plain white cups of Gard's brassiere and let herself be lulled into relaxation by their steady rise and fall.

Gard lightly kissed Murphy's lips before leaving the bed with the grace of a phantom. Murphy opened her eyes and watched Gard dress. She made the acts of buttoning her blouse, straightening her underwear and stepping back into her high heels look like a soldier securing her armor. She went into the bathroom and Murphy had to roll onto her back to watch the process of turning a sea of fallen tresses into a businesslike bun.

When she returned to the bedroom, Murphy was sitting up with the blankets tucked under her arms. Gard stopped next to the bed and stroked Murphy's hair. "You were right. I feel like a new woman."

Murphy smiled. "Well, it's just one of the services I offer. Come by any time, I'll show you some more."

"I may have to take you up on that." She bent down and kissed her, lingering a bit longer than Murphy expected before she finally pulled away. "I believe you have company downstairs. They arrived about fifteen minutes ago."

"Don't mind them when you leave. Tell them you were invited."

"But I--"

"Retroactive invitation."

Gard smiled. "Thank you, Miss Murphy."

She hated the sound of that; without her rank it sounded demeaning. "Call me Karrin."

Gard stared at her for a long moment and seemed to soften as she made a decision. "Sigrun." She turned on her heel and walked to the door. She paused at the threshold and spoke without looking at Murphy. "You and Dresden were drawn to each other for a reason. Most mortals are far more willing to accept the easy solution. You need to acknowledge the fact you may be more like us than you are them. Just food for thought." 

With two steps, Gard was out of sight. Murphy could still hear her heels clicking on the stairs, and then the sound of agitated conversation in the kitchen. The door opened and closed, and Murphy knew she would have to go down and face the music eventually. She dropped back to the pillow, the blankets still wrapped around her, and stared at the ceiling.

The rule was to take every opportunity to eat, sleep, piss and fuck. There was nothing in it about explaining yourself.

Murphy smiled and pushed her knees up to make mountains in the blanket, pressed her head into the pillow, and decided to take another nap before she went down to talk with the Alphas.


End file.
